The Fall of Lisa Bellow cleverly refers to both time of year and demise of a popular mean girl, from the point of view of the Oliver family: charming dad dentist Mark, judgmental mom dentist Claire, highschool son Evan, 13-yr old daughter Meredith. Susan Perabo is a mesmerizing story teller, and she goes beyond the purview of the "Mean Girls of Middle school" trope by playing around with some of its presumptions and with this intriguing premise: what if a popular girl and an unpopular girl are held at gunpoint and only one of them is released? How does the safe one deal with that guilt, how does her family, in general how do parents cope with destructive forces beyond their control?

I'd like to say I see argument for Growth over Fixed Mindset at play here: main character Meredith is not merely smart but she is good at math because she studies it and goes to math class well-prepared and thus she gets it; her older brother Evan is able to reclaim baseball skills after a devastating eye injury due to muscle memory, vigorous repetition, and hard work. I also liked seeing some uplifting examples of goodwill prevailing over rude and immoral contemporary conventions.

Although I think this book provided an interesting look at how the main character and her family reacted and survived after being a victim of crime - and a potential victim of kidnapping - to me it felt disjointed. I think having the viewpoint only from the female characters (mother and daughter) while making the male characters (father and son) so pivotal made the book feel weighted, and I never found my footing with it, even at the very end.

Thank You to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced copy of Susan Perabo's novel, The Fall of Lisa Bellow, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Eighth grader Meredith Oliver is a girl who exists in the middle. She's neither completely unpopular or part of the "in-crowd." Meredith and her friends both hate and emulate the popular girls, and in particular, their leader, Lisa Bellow.

Meredith and Lisa find their lives entwined, when they both happen to be buying sandwiches at a local deli during a robbery. Both girls are told to stay on the floor, while the deli's employee is beaten. The thief decides to kidnap Lisa, leaving the employee unconscious and Meredith shaking on the floor.

In the days, weeks, months following Lisa's kidnapping, Meredith tries to make sense of what happened to her classmate, and why she wasn't also taken? Although Meredith was spared, her mother, Claire, cannot shake the thought that she is unable to protect her children from harm. 

LIKE- Last year, I was introduced to Perabo's writing through her fantastic short story collection, Why They Run the Way They Do. Perabo is a fabulous storyteller and I was eager to read her first novel.

The Fall of Lisa Bellow has an unusual and interesting narrative structure. A large chunk of the story, about 1/3, is told through Meredith's fantasy of what both what she imagines has happened to Lisa, and what she imagines would happen if she had been kidnapped alongside Lisa. This fantasy is rich with specific details, including of the kidnapper, who in reality, was covered by a mask and could not be identified by Meredith. Meredith is so distraught by the robbery and kidnapping, that these fantasies become mixed-up with reality. She cannot distinguish the real details from her imaginary ones. They're muddled. She is obsessed with this fantasy world and with Lisa. She creates a fictional reality for Lisa, but she also befriend's Lisa's popular friends, who now accept Meredith in the aftermath, and she even becomes close to Lisa's mom. Lisa's mom is desperate for anything that will remind her of Lisa, which includes encouraging Lisa's friends to spend time at her house and hang out in Lisa's bedroom. While Claire is afraid that she can't physically protect her daughter, she is still losing Meredith to obsession and mental anguish.

Early in the story, we learn that Claire, a dentist, intentionally causes pain to one of her young patients, a boy that she suspects has been teasing her son. When Claire confesses her crime to her husband, he is horrified, and although Claire does not regret her actions (she poked a kid's sensitive tooth for temporary pain, not long-term damage), she realizes that her husband does not trust her. This is compounded with an emotional affair that she had when her mother was dying, something else that she confessed and which instigated his initial distrust toward her. This makes Claire feel isolated and unwilling to share her feelings with her husband. The robbery is not the only incident that has damaged Claire's children; her son Evan, had his promising baseball career ended, when an accident left him partially blind. The family had barely begun to recover from Evan's accident, when the robbery happened. Claire's unhinged and more than any other character, I wondered how she would cope. 

Perabo has created flawed, isolated characters that are existing on the brink. The Fall of Lisa Bellow works because of its familiarity. You don't need to have had a shock like surviving a robbery, to understand what it's like to fall down the rabbit hole with regard to obsessing over other people and "what if" scenarios. You don't have to lose your sight, to understand what it would mean to have your dreams crushed in an instant. You don't need to have the power and an opportunity to hurt a bully, to understand Claire's actions? The Fall of Lisa Bellow deals with extreme situations, but it's relatable throughout. 

DISLIKE- Nothing. The Fall of Lisa Bellow had me hooked from page one.

RECOMMEND- Yes! If you're not familiar with Perabo, you should be. I highly recommend The Fall of Lisa Bellow and Perabo's short story collections. Her writing is powerful, both in novel and short story formats.

This was a really strangely written book. The ending was good. The rest of the time it was difficult to tell what was actually happening and what Meredith was imagining. There was way too much of the mother's thoughts and life. Not to mention she was written so awkwardly. The things she said and did could be so horrible. It's hard for me to understand or feel interested in these characters. They weren't as fleshed out as they could have been.
There's also the fact that at one point Meredith is contemplating Lisa being raped, and how maybe it wouldn't really be rape because maybe she kind of wanted it and the r word being used elsewhere in the book - these things really turned me off. overall, I feel like this book has potential but it reminded me a lot of The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, as far as a girl being obsessed with the disappearance of a popular girl from school that she hardly knew that thought was mean, and I also gave that book 2 stars.

Now that the publication date of this book is near, time to get it a review. This is a psychological mystery (a category that will forever be compared to Gone Girl.) This isn't anything like Gone Girl, but if you are interested in the fictional study of what happens to a crime victim, when they are mostly a bystander, this is very interesting.

3.5/5 This book is about the psychological breakdown of a thirteen year old girl after watching another girl in her school (Lisa Bellow) get kidnapped after a robbery. It goes without saying that it is an extremely depressing book. On top of that, the protagonist's brother looses his eye in an unrelated incident and their parents' marriage begins to unravel. We never really learn much about Lisa other than what other people think of her or what the protagonist envisions is happening to her after her kidnapping. It's a strange little book that explores a lot of different kinds of pain, but never offers up any solutions.

A novel about getting through life altering tragedies, the Olivers are a family of four; Mom, Dad, big brother Evan, and his younger sister Meredith. The Olivers have had not one, but two traumas to endure. It’s the story of how the whole family copes, but it’s told mostly through the perspective of Meredith and her mother, Claire. We see them warts and all, and sometimes it’s not so pretty, but it does seem very realistic. The book does a great job of showing that everyone handles tragedy in their own way, and that the support of family, friends and community can go a long way in helping to heal.

A page turning debut by Susan Perabo! I enjoyed the story!

Amazing book, for many different reasons. This author has an amazing writing style and is able to make you know the characters and love, hate, and every single emotion with them. The character development and writing style allowed for the reader to become ecaptured in the story and able to feel the emotions, which can be very emotional at times. This book was also able to let you see grief and perseverance in many different points of view. Would definitely have my teen read if they're were going through a tragedy!

I had a hard time getting into this book at first, and it took me a good amount of time to really connect with the characters, but overall, it was an entertaining book.

Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1891907979

This story is every mother's nightmare. I knew when I started reading this, I would have a constant sinking feeling in my stomach, simply because I knew the synopsis of a young girl getting kidnapped, and this always plays with my heartstrings, as I couldn't ever imagine this happening to my own daughter. This story also resonated with me, because my daughter is in 8th grade, and I fully understand the struggles she is going through with bullies.
This book certainly carried enough emotions for me as well as made me think as to what I would do if I was in Claire's position.
I am excited to check out more work by Susan Perabo, as I really enjoyed this story.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest opinion. My thanks to Susan Perabo and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity.

Honestly, I was horribly disappointed by this book. I was led to expect suspense, but there was little to no suspense. I tend to enjoy multiple perspectives, but found myself less interested in the characters the author focused on (Meredith and her mother, Claire) and more interested in Lisa Bellow, her mother, and Meredith's brother, Evan. Overall, I feel like this book dragged on for too long and lacked momentum.

I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ultimately, I could not get into "Lisa Bellow". Though dubbed as a psychological thriller, it was anything but. I was hoping for dark, twisty suspense, but this book failed to deliver. Maybe if this book is marketed differently, there won't be that let down. Oh, and the book is about Meredith and quite literally, not Lisa Bellow.

The Fall of Lisa Bellow is a quiet, thoughtful examination of family members trying to find their place and meaning after going through events beyond their control. and outside of their safe family realm.

Meredith is stuck in the middle of the popularity pyramid of her junior high, veritably nonexistent to the likes of Lisa Bellow, the popular girl who has a locker just next to Meredith's. But in just moments of time, everything changes for both young women when Lisa is abducted by a masked man while just inches away from Meredith. Over time, Meredith must come to grips both with the abduction and with the cruelties of teen life.

Susan Perabo shines as an author by revealing the layers and intricacies of childhood and teenage rivalries for both children and their parents in this novel. The story line was compelling, and I maintained interest throughout the book. I found the characters to be quite well-developed and I found myself empathizing with them. Overall, the author manages to paint a believable portrait of how trauma and grief affects a whole family and community. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a complementary eARC of this novel.

Years ago, I read "The Payoff" by Susan Perabo and marveled at how she captured the lives of middle school girls--how she could transport me so clearly back to that time I've mostly blocked out with a few sharp lines and a few well-crafted scenes.

The Fall of Lisa Bellow fulfills the promise for those of us who loved "The Payoff". Here, I was so deeply ensconced in the lives of the characters that every time I was forced to put the book down, I had a hard time distinguishing reality from fiction. (Who was that boy I used to know who was injured by the foul ball? Oh, right. He was a conjuring of Bellow's imagination.) Bellow's characters feel so real, it's simply impossible not to get sucked into their lives.

Meredith Oliver is a typical eight grader. Not the most popular girl, but Meredith is secure enough in herself to know that she doesn't even want to be in the "in crowd". Then one random afternoon Meredith walks to the local deli on her way home from school and upon arrival notices the only other patron is Lisa Bellow, queen of the mean girls. After initially having the urge to leave to avoid Lisa, Meredith pushes through and waits in line for a sandwich. Then the unthinkable happens, a man in a ski mask holding a gun demands the deli employee give him all the money and then instructs everyone to get on the floor. At that moment every alarm bell was going off in Meredith's mind and horrific scenarios were flashing through her brain. Ultimately the masked man picked Lisa Bellows and left with Lisa, without a trace. That afternoon would massively alter Meredith's life. Why was she spared?? Why was Lisa chosen?? Was the masked man a local?? Could it be someone Lisa knew?? These are the questions Meredith is left with as she tries to pick up the pieces and adjust to her new normal. As desperately as Meredith is trying to make sense of the tragedy, her parents are just as desperate to help their daughter mentally, physically and emotionally get back to the typical 8th grader the know and love.

The Fall of Lisa Bellows completely captivated me from the very first page! Susan Perabo does a fantastic job of giving us the background on the Oliver family so when that fateful day occurred, we have a solid idea of who the Oliver's are. The character development was on point! The storyline was well thought out and I felt the pace of this novel was perfect. The Fall of Lisa Bellows is a 4.5 star novel that I highly recommend to everyone! Being that this is the first novel I've read from Susan Perabo, I am looking forward to checking out her previous books!

An incredible book about moms and daughters, told via a story about a disturbing kidnapping in a small suburban town. This novel was haunting, well-written, fast paced, and will definitely stay with me.

The plot centers around the Oliver family, which has been through a great amount of trauma because of a devastatingly injury to their son Evan, and the almost kidnapping of their daughter Meredith. As Meredith tries to work throughout her PTSD after the incedent, and her coming to terms with the fact that she's watched another girl get taken during a robbery of a deli, the story becomes more about her coming of age, dealing with this trauma as an 8th grader. Her mother, my favorite character, is also dealing with how to properly raise her children in the midst of the horrors they have faced, while also coming to grips with her own traumatic past. The family seems very real and layered, and perfectly flushed out by the author’s incredible writing.

I think this may already be one of my favorites of the year. It is both moving and plot-driven, two things very important to my love of good novels. It has a mystery, it is sometimes scary, but it's also a beautiful look at families, women, loss, and survival.